Twilight's Threshold Chapter 71: The Way of the New Year Guardian - Novel Cool

Chapter 71: The Way of the New Year Guardian

Chapter 71: The Way of the New Year Guardian

He had indeed accomplished the task in the Yellow Dog Village. In theory, Old Shopkeeper should now impart the method, but would it really be that easy?

When Old Shopkeeper spoke again, Hu Ma felt a twinge of suspicion, but he remembered his principle: listen more, think more, and don't ask too many questions.

Old Shopkeeper’s expression was inscrutable as he paused briefly before saying, "You don't need to overthink it. The village needs a manager, someone who can take charge. I am willing to teach you, and the faster you learn, the better."

"But learning this method means you're stepping into a new world. The dangers here are far beyond what you can imagine. Are you prepared for that?"

Hu Ma took a deep breath and replied solemnly, "I'm not afraid of anything if I can learn this method."

"Even if I don’t call you master, I will remember this kindness."

"..."

Old Shopkeeper chuckled and looked at Hu Ma. "There's no need to be so cautious. We'll know if it's real or not in time."

"The method of the New Year Guardian is not difficult to teach."

"But before I teach you, you need to understand what a New Year Guardian is."

"..."

"..."

Hu Ma showed a puzzled expression, acting as if he only knew the name.

Old Shopkeeper smiled and said softly, "This is a method of our trade. I doubt your elders would know about it."

"Guarding what is not abandoned on either side is called 'shou,' and the transition between old and new is called 'sui.'"

He continued, "A New Year Guardian is someone who stands at the boundary between yin and yang, between life and death."

"Of course, some say we are called New Year Guardians because we often deal with the Lord of the Year. That's not far from the truth."

"When the Lord of the Year descends, he brings boundless blessings to the world. If we can stay by his side for a lifetime, it’s not a bad thing to have such good fortune..."

Hu Ma listened carefully, his heart racing.

Guarding the New Year, nurturing life, and connecting with the yin...

There were many paths in this world, and only by entering these paths could one truly fight for survival.

Now, the path of the New Year Guardian was quietly opening to him...

"However, to enter this path, there is one crucial step..."

Old Shopkeeper sat beside the stone table, and the light from the oil lamps around them seemed to dim.

He said softly, "And that step is..."

"Death!"

"..."

"Ah?"

Hu Ma couldn't suppress his surprise and suddenly looked up at Old Shopkeeper.

"You heard me right."

Old Shopkeeper seemed pleased with Hu Ma's surprise and smiled faintly. "To enter this path, the first step is death."

"Right now, you and your fellow apprentices are chosen from various families and clans. Your primordial energy is intact, and your vitality is at its peak. Even without any cultivation, your body is like a furnace, repelling evil and ghosts, and even impurities will avoid you."

"But solitary yang does not thrive. At your stage, you've reached the peak. Once you marry and have children, your body will start to decline, and your vitality will wane."

"But we, the New Year Guardians, choose to go against this path."

"From life to death, and from death to life, we remain between life and death, neither alive nor dead, both dead and alive."

"Heh, they say that dusk is the boundary between yin and yang, where the living and the evil spirits each take their own paths. But we, the New Year Guardians, stand at this boundary, able to go anywhere."

"..."

"From life to death, and then from death to life?"

Hu Ma listened, his heart pounding with increasing surprise. He now understood why Grandma wanted him to learn this.

He couldn't help but ask, "Then... how do we do it?"

At this point, Old Shopkeeper looked at Hu Ma with a half-smile. "Aren't you afraid after hearing all this?"

Hu Ma immediately replied, "Old Shopkeeper is teaching me skills. Why should I be afraid?"

Old Shopkeeper looked into his eyes and saw nothing but eagerness, no doubt or fear. He sighed softly.

"Earlier, when I saw his skills and the excellent conditions he offered, I was often puzzled and wondered if he had a powerful background, just pretending to be here for some hidden agenda."

"Now, I see that I was overthinking it. He is indeed from the village, smart and capable, but his mind is still simple and naive."

"..."

With his doubts dispelled, Old Shopkeeper smiled at Hu Ma. "What I just told you is the method. How to do it is the path."

"To truly become a New Year Guardian, you must first let a part of your body die."

"After it dies, you will use the method of the New Year Guardian to transform death into life. Once you complete this step, you will have your own abilities."

"This is both a method and a reliance."

"Once you enter this path, you will inevitably deal with the Lord of the Year and encounter all sorts of evil spirits and strange creatures. Whether you can turn danger into safety and repel evil will depend on this 'death.'"

"Of course, how much you can die and how much you can live, whether you can ascend to a higher level or return home, all depends on your personal destiny."

"The highest level of our path is called 'Living Dead.'"

"That's someone who has already died once and been reborn through death, transcending the boundaries of yin and yang."

"..."

As he spoke, he reached for the teapot beside him, subtly adjusting the furnace fire. His palm turned as hot as a red-hot iron, and the teapot gradually glowed red and scorching, the tea inside boiling furiously.

Then, he withdrew his hand and said to Hu Ma, "Pour me some tea."

"Stepping up the stairs, crossing the bridge to return home... a living dead person?"

Hu Ma carefully pondered the old shopkeeper's words. He stared at the teapot, which seemed to have just been taken off the stove, radiating a faint red glow and an intense heat. Despite knowing he would be burned, he reached out to grab it.

The old shopkeeper laughed and swatted his hand away, saying, "Silly boy, you really thought you could pick it up?"

He then extended his other hand and picked up the teapot himself.

Hu Ma watched closely. Since the old shopkeeper could burn the teapot red with one hand, he naturally could avoid being burned. But instead, he simply reached out and grasped the scorching teapot with a normal hand.

Instantly, his skin couldn't withstand the heat, and it sizzled, burning and emitting a charred smell.

But the old shopkeeper didn't seem to mind, slowly lifting his hand.

Hu Ma noticed that his hand was gray and cold, lifeless and stiff, showing no signs of life.

Yet, he somehow made his qi circulate, and his hand gradually came to life, the burn beginning to heal.

"This is the skill of balancing life and death, the ultimate technique of the New Year's Guardians."

The old shopkeeper smiled, withdrew his hand, and poured himself some tea, saying, "Master this technique, and you'll be impervious to water and fire, even to the most potent toxins and evil spirits. Fetching money from a pot of boiling oil will be a piece of cake for us—this is the power of this skill."

"However, if you want to master it, you'll have to die a little first."

"..."

He pointed to the oil lamps around them and whispered, "Limbs, tendons, muscles, bones, organs, eyes, and brain—each part must be refined through death to gain different abilities. Ultimately, when you refine your mind and soul through death, this skill will be fully mastered."

"I've already lit these lamps for you, each representing a different part, to guide you in your training."

"Choose one based on your fate. Where you start to die is where you begin to train..."

"..."

Hu Ma turned to look at the lamps, each one unique, with flickering flames that carried a mysterious aura.

Only now did he understand the purpose of these oil lamps.

Despite feeling a mix of unease and shock, he also felt a sense of gratitude and excitement.

The old shopkeeper was waiting for him to choose a lamp, to select a part to die and then train the skill...

But in reality, he could choose any.

Because his entire body had already died, and he only needed to seek life.

Feeling joyful, he stood up and bowed to the old shopkeeper, saying, "I'll follow your lead, sir."

"Which one should I choose?"

Seeing Hu Ma ask this, the shopkeeper looked at him with a mix of surprise and approval.

He seemed to be in a good mood and pointed at Hu Ma, saying, "You may be naive, but you have a good mind. Your nature is what gave you the chance to enter our path. See that green lamp on your left? Pick it up and take it to your room."

Hu Ma looked at the lamp, unsure of what it represented, but he steadied his mind and reached out to pick it up.

The lamp was on his left, so he naturally used his left hand to lift it.

Unexpectedly, as soon as he picked it up, he felt a slight numbness in his left hand, and a strange aura seeped into his fingertips.

He looked down and saw that his left hand had turned a dark purple, spreading through his veins to his entire palm and half of his forearm. This was indeed unexpected, but he held the lamp steady, not dropping it.

"This lamp contains a secret potion made with Black Tai Sui, which will destroy the life force in your left hand."

Mr. Wu watched Hu Ma's calm demeanor with increased admiration and said softly, "Right now, you are just poisoned. In a short while, your left hand will be completely dead."

"But this is only the beginning. After it dies, you must use the furnace fire to bring it back to life."

"I don't expect you to progress too quickly. By next spring, if you can master one arm and one leg, it will be a great help to me."

"..."

"Yes, I will do my best."

Hu Ma eagerly agreed, holding the oil lamp and listening attentively as the shopkeeper imparted the technique.

The shopkeeper sighed and guided Hu Ma through the process of using the furnace fire to refine life from death.

As he listened, the technique didn't seem unfamiliar. It was essentially the same as the method Hu Ma had learned from Second Master, which involved accumulating furnace fire to nurture life.

However, this method involved guarding the meridians and stimulating the life force in his left hand, adding many subtle and intricate steps.

It was clearly a much more advanced technique.

He listened carefully, committing every detail to memory, and then solemnly thanked the shopkeeper before leaving the inner courtyard.

From life to death, refining death into life...

The problem that had long troubled him was finally solved...

(End of Chapter)

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